Hey folks, Harry here. I have to just admit this. I’ve sat down pretty much every night this month meaning to write a much shorter version of essentially what you see here today, but each time… I’d rather play Farmville… I’d rather Tweet… Chat with friends and I kept finding excuse after excuse to just not do it. The reason was relatively simple. I just got burnt out. I kept writing out the list of titles, and when I got to the point where I copy and paste code around, but before I write the text of the piece… I just frankly didn’t want to do it. I just didn’t find myself wanting to write about DVDs and Blu Rays. I’ve been busy with a lot of different projects, but frankly none of those took up the time that I’d need to do this column. But tonight, I sat down – and I didn’t do one week of the list, I did the entire month – and with each little write up, I found myself giddy to be writing the column again. Seriously. I just had a lot of fun with it. And ultimately that’s what I want the column to be. Not just a list, but one that is fun to go through. Another secret. I write the openings and closings of these columns after I’ve finished all the pieces in-between. Last paragraph first, then I end with this intro. And just as always, you’ll find the images and titles linked to Amazon, and if you purchase something from that link, I’ll take it as a sign that you appreciate the column. But rather you do or don’t click a link, I’ll be back weekly with the first column of March. Thanks to you Talkbackers that have been burning a candle and bitching at me daily. You keep me honest. Thanks.
So here’s the month of FEBRUARY including this upcoming Tuesday of releases:

ZOMBIELAND

How much fucking fun is this film? The writers behind this film are now writing… um… EVERYTHING IN HOLLYWOOD, so take a look at this film, because it is the first in a line of films that are being made and that I hope maintain a sense of fun, but I’m hoping will mature a bit. The main cast of Woody, Jesse, Emma and Abigail are all irresistible to not enjoy, but it is the celebrity cameo that really knocks this film out of the park in a wonderful way. That said, the best Zombie spoof is still, in my opinion, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and after that, SHAUN OF THE DEAD. But this lines up right after those two. Very much a party zombie movie! Very sharp Blu Ray.

CASABLANCA (Blu Ray)

Last year a really great CASABLANCA Blu Ray came out with beautiful packaging and stuff like a Passport holder and other goofy fun things. It was pretty pricey, now we have this edition, which has all the same video content and a price of $14.50. Arguably the greatest film ever made in Hollywood. It continues to get better with every viewing. This is what they don’t know how to make anymore.

LOVE HAPPENS

Instead we get drivel like this.

MORE THAN A GAME

I like this film quite a bit. But this documentary is no HOOP DREAMS, at least not for me. I think it is the knowledge of just how popular LeBron James is today… somehow, that crazy level of success kinda took me out of the film in a way. Perhaps when I revisit this film, after LeBron’s story in the spotlight has faded a bit… perhaps then I’ll feel better about this. Instead, it felt a bit like publicity. It’s a very strong film, but it didn’t blow me away.

ONG BAK 2: THE BEGINNING

Stunningly beautiful photography – there’s something about this film that made me dream of what a CONAN film could be with a lean Conan. In terms of being a sequel, it is – in a very Buddhist way. I love the way this film ends… how it instantly is found to be relatively insane to most Western eyes. I love this film so much. But the movie is a very dense thing. Tony Jaa obviously had so much he was trying to put into this first film, that it really does lose some that see it, but I love the karmic nature released upon a hero narrative.

PLANET HULK

If you liked the comic storyline that this Animated feature adapted, you should love the film. I hadn’t read the comic story, so I went in thinking it was probably going to be a funky flick with the Hulk playing Russell Crowe, but in some ways – this storyline is a lot more fun. Personally, the substitution of BETA RAY BILL for the Silver Surfer was something that I LOVED. If only because I’m a Beta Ray Bill junkie. To each their own.

THE MUSIC MAN (Blu Ray)

God I love this movie. Saw it as a little kid and from the second it was over, I wanted to play in a marching band. Which of course I did in High School, playing both Tenor Saxophone and Trombone. As a result, for me, this is a film I’ll watch and revisit over and over again for the rest of my life. I honestly feel that Robert Preston gives one of the most amazing performances in the history of film here. He is astonishing in the film and electric. You can’t take your eyes off of him. And little Ronny Howard is just AWESOME! It is actually Ron’s part in this… not AMERICAN GRAFFITI or HAPPY DAYS or that cop show from way back… that makes me love Ron most. This is one of those movies, that I wish I could live in. I love the world of it so much, it reminds me of how I would imagine life would be if you lived at Disneyland.

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (Blu Ray)

Someday, after THE RUM DIARY comes out… I would like to imagine we’ll see a truly deluxe rerelease of this on BLU RAY, but with shit tons of extras. Easily one of my favorite Terry Gilliam films, as well as Johnny Depp films and Benicio DelToro films. This was one of the early films in AICN’s history where the writers on AICN were in complete disagreement with the larger critical community and audience that loathed this film with exceptional vigor. However, the years have been kind to FEAR & LOATHING… not quite to the degree that the world now seemingly forgets that THE BIG LEBOWSKI was “the worst Coen Brothers Film ever” upon its release. But ya know… just having this film on Blu Ray makes me happy, even if it isn’t a grand treatment.

GANGS OF NEW YORK (Blu Ray)

This might not be the Scorsese film that is fondly rewatched over and over again, but I will watch it upon the slightest excuse. Daniel Day Lewis is so amazing in this film, that he unbalances the entire affair. Upon my initial viewing – I just wanted more of him. Much more of him. But upon further watchings, I find myself really appreciating the rest of the film with newfound vigor each time. Diaz is good here. DiCaprio is very good here. Broadbent and John C Reilly and Henry Thomas? ALL VERY DAMN GOOD. The detail for the era is extraordinary and the story…. Really Great. Transfer to Blu Ray is gorgeous and has a healthy dose of extras.

TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (Blu Ray)

”Friedkin’s Finest Hour,” is a bold statement. After all, Billy did make FRENCH CONNECTION, EXORCIST, CRUISIN, BUG and my personal career fave, SORCEROR which has yet to find its way to DVD much less Blu Ray! Argh! But ya know what… the great thing about each of the films I’ve mentioned in this short piece feels like Friedkin’s Finest Hour at some level. Hell, I think the only reason that I have SORCEROR as my fave Friedkin flick is just cuz I can’t see it nearly as often as his other work. But I have to tell ya, I fucking love TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. I do wish though… everytime I see it, that it had the box office success of LETHAL WEAPON, just so I could get some amazing 3 film trilogy out of Friedkin with Petersen… oh well…

MYSTIC RIVER (Blu Ray)

I still don’t like this movie. I watched this Blu Ray the other day… and I hadn’t watched the film since I didn’t like it in theaters back in 2003. Every now and again, I find a movie that I didn’t like at the time, that I find that I like later in life. Nope. I still feel that the movie I would have preferred, would feature Eli Wallach, for two hours working a liquor store. Every other actor in this is ‘acting their asses off’ and Eli is so awesomely filled with character and life – that he destroys everything else in the movie. Bores the fuck out of me.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (Blu Ray)

One of my fave films for 2009. I know most of you haven’t seen THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, but let me take you aside here and you’re your ear a bit. THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL is a perfect film. That isn’t an exaggeration, it is absolutely fucking perfect. You can tell that the director, Ti West, set out to make a very specific type of film. He wanted to make a 1980’s horror film. But not really that broad. Specifically, he wanted to make a 1980’s horror film that felt like a 1970’s one. There’s not many of those. The film isn’t entirely period – as those of you with eagle eyes will spot on some street scenes. BUT – other than those couple of cars, it is perfect. The hair, make-up, the furniture, the colors, the photography. This is a loving and fetishistic swan dive of a fucking feature. For me, it is that fucking beautiful. He named his dive, and then he nailed it. I love this film. Seriously. This really should have been released with a major push. This is film as fetishistically note perfect as what Tarantino does, but without that invention and reinvention of genre. If you get my meaning. Break out a rotary and the long cords… it is on here!

THE GODFATHER (Blu Ray)

Ok – so I guess that’s about how long you had to wait till you could buy GODFATHER and PART II, but not endorse, support or purchase Part III. That’s right, they’re individually available – the original 2 part saga. As it was always meant to be… in the Seventies. I’ve heard people complain about the image, but I’m certainly not seeing it with either of these discs. Brilliant film that has most of life’s answers.

THE GODFATHER Part II (Blu Ray)

So how do you make a movie that’s better than THE GODFATHER? Well, you make it non-linear, and in addition to having Brando, you cast Robert DeNiro as a young Brando. And yes, your movie will be better than the fucking Godfather. And there’s no denying it. This film is better than THE GODFATHER and that was no miracle, it was sheer brilliance that Coppola was acutely tapped into better than any other filmmaker in the Seventies. Holy shit, right?

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (Blu Ray)

Your Project Mayhem orders for the day is to buy multiple copies of this film. Then go to the DVD rental company of choice and replace the Emile Hirsch film with this! It will MELT BRAINS! I’m talking serious ear bleeding and mind fucking. To introduce people expecting the mild amusement of that would be RISKY BUSINESS clone… to this? You’ll be doing the lord’s work. Seriously!

THE BABYSITTERS (Blu Ray)

Doesn’t this movie just make you want to be a Dad? I mean… then you get to call The Babysitters… all of whom are just so incredibly willing to have sex for their babysitting fee. Cuz this happens in every neighborhood in America. It’s why you move here from other countries, and finally a documentary spoils this knowledge to every wife, who apparently was never a babysitter, in the world. WAY TO GO David Ross! Actually, this is a really well made Skinamax flick. Yes, it is dirty as hell, but when you’re not blind with holier-than-thou rage, you’ll find it kinda hot and great fun during roleplay. Cuz this can’t ever be real, right?

THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE

Man, seriously… you really would have to groom a girl from childhood to get her to marry you later in life if you had Timetravelinitis like Eric Bana in this flick. There really is a creepy as fuck nature to this movie and story. I mean. Even if you could travel back in time and have a conversation with the little girl version of your wife… WHAT THE FUCK? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? And if you knew that it was your wife, why would you ever go talk to her – and dude… it is just fucking creepy. That this shit then becomes lapblanket masturbation fodder for folks is even creepier. Now I get, that this is a unique kinda thing, then they make a little girl that can time travel, but she can control it. What’s that life gonna be like? Cuz she’s like 9 and already stalking her parents but when they were young and horny. HOW CREEPY! Fucking creepy use of time travel. Creepy movie. Ewww.

COUPLES RETREAT

Valiant first effort from director Peter Billingsley. I kinda just can’t imagine this situation as ever being reality. I mean. Seriously. Can you imagine when you’re a married couple… going through marriage doubts… reaching out to some of your couple friends to all go to this fabulous tropical island to go through therapy together? No. I can’t imagine that. It just doesn’t seem real at any conceivable level. But, it is the situation you have to believe in order to join and enjoy the fun little romp that is COUPLES RETREAT. So I tried to imagine it. So there I was on a tropical island with my friends Gordon and Kim and Fitz and Rebecca and Rick and Nikki… and it was vastly more hysterical than this film, but this was pleasant. But my god. To see that group, all on an island, all having to go through therapy in paradise. It really makes me cry laughing thinking of that scenario with my real couple friends. But no. No. It will never ever happen. Never.

A SERIOUS MAN

I know this film is in English. I know it was shot here in the United States of America. And yet, I still feel it should win BEST FOREIGN FILM of 2009. The film is spectacular. Dense and impenetrable, but in a way I don’t resent. I know, that I’ll watch this film a few times over the course of the rest of my life, and I don’t expect to get any less lost, nor blissfully lost, than the film leaves me now. Sometimes it is bliss to be lost. You discover little things tucked around the corner of frames… little set dressing gems and lovingly odd looks and reactions. This is a film with many beautiful and exotic facets that just catches my eye. I, and the world, would be shocked to see this win Best Picture… but I kinda have to say… I’d snicker all night long if it did.

THE GUILD: Season Three (Amazon Exclusive)

Exclusively available through Amazon is the best Web Series that I know of. THE GUILD is simply wonderful. Nice to have the 3rd season to take home. Where I originally saw it online.

THE RUNNING MAN (Blu Ray)

God Awful. Just. There’s shit in this that makes BATMAN & ROBIN seem badass. By far, the worst Arnold movie… cuz HERCULES GOES BANANAS is just too fucking funny, right? As cheap as you remember this film looking, Blu Ray is merciless. It all looks so bad. So bad. I’d kill to see Brett Ratner do a remake.

THE PHANTOM (Blu Ray)

I think I’ve deluded myself into thinking I love this movie. Now, I haven’t watched the Blu Ray on this, because the disc won’t play in my player… but I keep trying. And I want it to play, but it won’t. And all I have are fond memories of going to the advance screening of this movie, and then the next thing I know, the girl sitting next to me began making out with me at the screening. I dated her for a brief period in 1996, which Merrick will never ever let me live down. I can hear Merrick’s cackle even now. I’m still wondering if the movie was as good as that blowjob. “Thrilling!” indeed.

Bad Girls of Film Noir, Vol. 1 (The Killer That Stalked New York / Two of a Kind / Bad for Each Other / The Glass Wall)

Bullet Bras and Sweater Gals. Square shoulders and sculpted hair. Badass dames from the Film Noir period are a fetish that film geeks have… Ms Lake and Bacall were the crown jewels, but here you have the best of the B-Noirs. Here we had the B-babes of the genre – and I think it is kinda funny that they’re selling the films from the bad girl angle instead of the lantern jaw of Charlton Heston or the confused brow of Edmund O’Brien. But man, you can’t knock Lizabeth Scott’s lines or those awesome eyes of Gloria Grahame. My fave of this set is “THE KILLER THAT STALKED NEW YORK” mainly because… while it is totally a film noir… it is also, primarily an awesome Pandemic flick about the spread of Small Pox. LOVE IT! But they’re all good flicks!

Ok – you need this set before Volume 1, because you need to see NIGHT EDITOR by Henry Levin immediately. Seriously great film that I hadn’t ever heard of. It stars absolutely nobody that I know, but damn if I wasn’t IMDB’ing Janis Carter afterwards to see what else she’d done! Seriously, get this set now to own NIGHT EDITOR – and you’ll discover that you’ll also like a lot ONE GIRL’S CONFESSION and OVER-EXPOSED and you might even dig WOMEN’S PRISON. I didn’t, but you might.

BRONSON

Remember when critics were telling you there was this awesome fucking actor named Eric Bana in this movie called CHOPPER and the critics just knew he’d be a star? Well, many of those same critics said the same thing about Russell Crowe with ROMPER STOMPER. Well… that’s how I feel about TOM HARDY and BRONSON. This film is a runaway escaped train filled with all your favorite things spiraling out of control towards a gorge filled with the most awesome balloons ever. BRONSON is nuts. Insane. But based on a true story, which gave Tom Hardy the excuse to create this AWESOME truly AWESOME character. The man that plays BRONSON can do ANYTHING and is so fucking grotesquely charismatic that I could watch the film for a week solid and smile throughout. BRONSON is the single best performance by an actor in film this past year.

SERIOUS MOONLIGHT

Agonizingly torturous beyond all realms of reason. This pain lingers. Don’t inject it in either eye ever!

STEPHEN ROMANO PRESENTS SHOCK FESTIVAL

If you love 70s and 80s genre cinema, this is pretty much a blissful experience. The DVD with zillions of mp3’s of old radio spots are GOLD! I find I can lose an entire afternoon listening to them as I surf the web. In all this has tons of awesome trailers and weird stuff that makes people that love both just happy as hell. Romano did a great job with this!

KING LEAR

You know what I love about getting older? I mean, I’m nearly 40 years old now. For the past 27 years, I’ve been fairly aggressive in tracking down every scrap of everything that Orson Welles was a part of, and then something like this shows up in the mail. This was Orson Welles’ Television debut. He plays KING LEAR. It is fucking jawdroppingly awesome. Welles almost never looks as clearly Welles-like as you see him on the cover of this amazing DVD. He’s nearly invisible in the film. You know he’s King Lear, but you can’t really SEE HIM as King Lear. Even his voice, it is very specifically different than what I expected. Again. This fucker surprises me with a nuanced and brilliant performance. And now… I get to ask friends, “Hey, you ever seen Orson Welles’ KING LEAR?” and when they all say no, I get to feel awesome because I have this and not only do I have it, but I can put it on and enjoy the hell out of it. Wow.

SATAN’S WIFE

Throughout the seventies there was a host of films that were little more than a ripoff of Friedkin’s EXORCIST. Most were dreadful, and I wish I could tell you that this was one that bucked the trend, but I can’t. This is pretty bad. But it has nude Italian women from the 70s in it, and I’m kinda easy that way. But honestly, it isn’t really worth it. But it’s also named SATAN’S WIFE – and how can you not see SATAN’S WIFE. The title beckons one’s mind into a regretful experience. And that’s the god’s honest truth of the matter.

BLADE OF THE RIPPER

Generally I like Sergio Martino flicks – and this does have the ungodly lovely Edwige Fenech, but the film just didn’t do it for me. I kinda dig some of it, but it’s mainly the vibe of this era of Italian Giallo. But it is ultimately disappointing. Glad I’ve seen it though.

For a little under 18 dollars, you get this 4 DVD set that really is great. I’m a huge fan of Paul Robeson’s EMPEROR JONES, and I love me some Lena Horne in THE BRONZE VENUS… I even own that one-sheet. Then the two sports Bio-pics… well they’re damn good too. Each crying to be remade with a great filmmaker behind them. I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy the hell out of these films.

PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (Ultimate Edition) BLU RAY

One of my very favoritest movies ever made. Two lobby cards adorn my living room wall, one of which signed by Paul Williams. This is my very favorite telling of the Faust tale. My absolute favorite work of Brian DePalma – and most likely the reason we all really hate Tom Rothman. At least we know that you can’t directly kill Tom Rothman, you’d have to like burn his contract and get Murdock as well. Cuz that’s how these Faustian bargains work. Always some trick to dying with loopholes and fine print on it all. This is one of those films that you have to love for me to like ya. One night Guillermo Del Toro and I agreed that nobody that didn’t like PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE could be cool. And then we spent many hours as he told me why he wanted to remake it as I spent hours convincing him that it would never be as brilliant as the original. Then Guillermo cried in my arms and suckled upon my thumb. At least. That’s how I remember the conversation. I’ll never forget BNAT 1. Guillermo screened his 35mm print of this as we sat together, annoyingly singing out loud every lyric from memory. Paul Williams is a god and PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE is his Bible by way of St. Brian. This is an expensive import. But it is the kind of film that you get the expensive import for. Because it’s the sort of film that is accessible in France because… they really do appreciate the best of America.

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN

I like so much of this movie, and then… I don’t. I despise how this movie wraps up. I absolutely hate it. Here you have the best possible start for an on-going character – and then they blow it. It really bums me out. Love everything about the film till that point. Then I’m just really disappointed.

BLACK DYNAMITE

I have very weird history with this movie. Long before this movie played at Sundance last year, I saw the film… and HATED IT. I mean, I haven’t hated on a film like that with a group of friends for a real long time. We watched it, then spent 6 hours, till dawn, bitching about everything that didn’t work and wasn’t funny about the film. But for some damn reason I never wrote about the film. You know what it is. I like Michael Jai White too much. I met him on the set of KILL BILL in China – and I just loved him. Such a great guy. And when I saw the trailers, I was just crazy in love with the idea of this film. I think I imagined it to be a LUKE CAGE movie set in the seventies. Instead of a direct parody flick. But earlier this month when I rewatched the film on Blu Ray… and the small nips and tucks helped, but actually – it was knowing what it was that helped. I had a complete reversal of my first reaction. All of a sudden it just worked. Then I invited a couple of friends over to watch it – and they loved it too. I just wish I had liked the film, when I was in that strip club with Black Dynamite in Vegas. But I still hated the film at that point. Which allowed me to enjoy the environment more.

REVANCHE (Criterion Blu Ray)

This is kind of the ideal Criterion film. In all liklihood this will be the first many of you have heard of this film called REVANCHE. The only Austrian actor most of us know is the Governor of California, but last year there was an exceptional Austrian film released. Not that it had a release of any real scale in the United States, but it caught the eye of Criterion’s programmers – and they’re giving it to us on Blu Ray. This is a powerful film that is all about the big themes as told in a very gritty realness that some are calling neo-noir. Take the leap of faith that Criterion has asked each of us at one point or another and you’ll come away happy as can be. Damn fine film.

LOLA MONTES (Criterion Blu Ray)

And then there’s this… Holy sweet jesus is this amazing! The reviews on AMAZON are not for the Criterion Blu Ray, but some shoddy version that hit on DVD long ago. This is actually the fully restored film, in breathtaking technocolor. When I played this on my screen at home, the colors seemed to be two inches in front of my screen. Just gorgeous. Peter Ustinov is amazing as the ringmaster – Brilliant film from Max Ophüls and I promise – you haven’t seen a film quite like this. It is absolutely a trip.

HUNGER (Criterion Blu Ray)

If you liked Michael Fassbender in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, then check out his work in HUNGER. Wow. Prison Horror films are always so effective because they don’t require anything than what they are. Prison would be Horror. I don’t think any of us would ever like to be in prison. Prison pretty much represents our collective nightmares. Well imagine trying to make a political statement that changes the system, from the inside. When you have almost nothing but yourself to torment. And that’s exactly what IRA leader Bobby Sands did back in 1981. I was about 10 when this happened, but I remember the reports on Television about it. My parents paid attention to stuff like that. Well director Steve McQueen does a brilliant job with this film – and a great deal of that falls upon the shoulders of Michael Fassbender – who is terrific as Bobby Sands. Great work.

RAN (Blu Ray)

Wow. RAN on Blu Ray maybe bliss. Ok – it isn’t perfect, but it’s the best it has ever looked on home video. I have my old Criterion, its what I watched 2 months ago when I was devouring my Criterion KUROSAWA set, and wanted to see the rest. And this image is much better than that, but I agree with the other online folks that say pretty much the same, while also desiring an even better print. There’s also some annoying subtitle translation typos that drive me nuts. But dammit, it’s the best we got so far.

CABIN FEVER (Blu)

After watching CABIN FEVER on Blu Ray – and seeing the Unrated Director’s Cut – all lingering issues I had with the film went away. I always had a tonal problem with the film. The weird bizarre moments always seemed to come out of left field. Well, strangely… I think I just hadn’t thrown enough crazy parties yet. But the last few NEW YEAR’S and HALLOWEEN parties have been crazy enough, that I’m now very much familiar with all the characters that appear in this film – including Pancakes boy. So now, it feels absolutely real. Which may be even more frightening, when life reflects CABIN FEVER, shouldn’t you run?

CABIN FEVER 2: SPRING FEVER

This sequel picks up, pretty much immediately after the first film. And it is a High School Prom meets the Flesh Eating Virus film. And while there’s parts that don’t work with other parts of the movie, when it is trying to be High School Prom meets the Flesh Eating Virus… it’s pretty much bliss. Don’t get me wrong, it is far from being great, but I found it very watchable – and I think I might even share it with some friends soon.

THE LADYKILLERS (Blu Ray)

A film so great that the Coen Brothers thought they should remake it. That’s possibly one of the greatest honors you can imagine. To make something that the Coen Brothers would like to remake. Can you imagine being that good. God, I’d kill to see GAMBIT released on Blu Ray. Or hell, I’d love to see TRUE GRIT on Blu Ray! One of the great Alec Guinness performances, just insane looking! You have to see him in this film!

CONTEMPT (Blu Ray)

I love film within film films. Even moreso, I love arguing that CQ is the best one, and the other people chocking me. Until I finally admit that it is actually BODY DOUBLE. Then we scream about SINGIN IN THE RAIN and 8 ½ and yes, this CONTEMPT, but we always settle on SHERLOCK JR, unless they haven’t seen that, in which case we amaze them. Heh. The case can be made for each, and then you’ll see Welles’ DON QUIXOTE as put together by Jesus Franco and you’ll change your mind again. What’s your fave? And have you seen all these? Got some more?

WOMEN IN TROUBLE (Blu Ray)

This was one of my fave flicks out of SXSW last year, and this year, I’m dying to see the sequel, ELEKTRA LUXX which follows the porn star character from this movie, as played by Carla Gugino… and click you’ve bought the Blu Ray. This is a film with twelve lovely ladies and one girl that’s getting close to being the 13th. Simon Baker, Josh Brolin and director Sebastian Gutierrez had to have been all smiles during this very sexy, very funny and very complicated fun film. This really does look like a film where everybody had a blast. And that’s a good thing.

Melies Encore: 26 Additional Rare and Original Films by the first Wizard of Cinema

I’m still waiting on my copy to get here, all I know is the box claims to have 26 Melies films. That just sounds blissful, right?

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS

My 9 year old nephew said after it was over, “That was the best Justice League ever!!!” and then… he began asking me about Alternate Earths – and he and I discussed the infinite possibilities upon infinite realities and how we could all be girls that laid polka-dotted eggs on one, and how on another we could be Na’vi and yet again on another we could be sentient rocks that get angry at being thrown around by kids, and on and on. But then the conversation turned how to make this reality the best reality you can by making considerate and thought out decisions in life. Because wrong decisions make our reality the suck reality. And really… isn’t that a conversation you want to have with the young kid in your life? Besides that… it fucking rules.
BUT NOT NEARLY AS MUCH AS
THE SPECTRE short film on here! My god. Not only is it amazing because it is THE SPECTRE and holy shit, there’s a SPECTRE short film produced by DC animation as a stand alone. And that, just by itself is fucking awesome. But then… they went and got Steve Niles to write it. And yeah, I thought that would annoy all the Niles haters below in every talkback of an article that mentions him… but then… I saw it. And it is amazing. Imagine if THE SPECTRE was a Detective Giallo Animated Horror Cartoon from the Seventies. Not just that, but all of a sudden, while you’re watching it, you realize… The greatest movie the world would ever see would be THE SPECTRE movie as directed by Brian DePalma… set in the Seventies and shot by Vilmos Zsigmond with a Pino Donaggio Score. And that is a dream worth wanking over. Seriously. The short is good enough to make me dream of that. Sigh. I wish I had my own fantasy studio for like 5 years. Wouldn’t that be cool. (not sure what my brain was doing confusing THE SPECTRE with THE SPIRIT, but my brain did it, though I absolutely know the difference in the characters. My only excuse is... MASSIVE BRAIN FART - hey, I was kinda watching THE GODFATHER Part 1 & 2 while typing this column in a marathon session. And I woke up to correct this, before finishing a little Sunday afternoon nap)

CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT

This just fell flat for me. None of it really works. The tone just feels wrong. I kept wishing it was more like SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, but it is nowhere near the same ballpark as that. And that’s the standard for juvenile horror for me. Did any of you really like this?

THE INFORMANT

I really thought that Steven Soderbergh deserved a nomination for Best Cinematography for this film. And how in hell Marvin Hamlisch’s score didn’t pocket the nomination… I’ll never understand. Brilliant score and brilliant cinematography. And frankly, I just loved everything about this film. The scary thing is, I thought it was probably pretty accurate to reality. In the same way that I accept GOODFELLAS as its particular reality and the GODFATHER as its particular reality. I believe in THE INFORMANT. Sure it seems absurdist, but I’ve got a feeling that that’s just what this guy’s particular reality was. God we live in one weird fucking world.

THE BOX

It just doesn’t work for me. I’ve loved everything that Richard Kelly has done till this film. And there’s a lot of this film I like and I get the weird atmospheric choices and the odd quirks. I’ve watched this a couple of times now here at home and I do like it a bit more than in theaters, but I just don’t feel this works as a feature narrative. I’m not sure which weird element makes it not gel for me, but I still can’t put my finger on it. I like James Marsden and Frank Langella. I don’t dislike Cameron Diaz, but I don’t believe I like her limp very much, it just kinda feels a tad too much. In fact, that’s the phrase I keep coming back to in my head, it all feels a bit… much. But I wonder how the film will age.

MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (Criterion)

Just a stunning film from Hollywood’s golden era. This is a film that plays like a revelation. The second you see it, you get furious at the fact that you’ve only just discovered it. How. How did this film not reach me, when I’ve seen so many great films from the mid-1930’s. This is a film that’s literally overflowing with great character actors and performers. And it will absolutely tear the soul straight out of your chest. Just amazing. LOVE THIS FILM! And again, let us give thanks to the joyous crew at Criterion for underlining this film’s awesomeness by releasing it. Thank you!

LEGO: THE ADVENTURES OF CLUTCH POWERS

Are you or have you ever been a LegoManiac? This past Christmas was my nephew’s first LEGO Christmas. When thinking what to get him for Christmas, I thought about my 9th Christmas a lot. That was 1980. I was very into the new Space Lego sets – and I had two drawers of my dresser filled to the top with Legos. My friends and I built endless cities we trampled, we made rayguns and creatures and landscapes for our Star Wars and Buck Rogers and Star Trek action figures. Yes. Life was good. So I decided it was time to spoil the boy something fierce on Legos. So I bought him about 3 complete lines of LEGOS. Turns out, he had like 4 sets of the Star Wars line, which I avoided just due to a sneaking suspicion that if anyone had got him some Legos it would be them. Well, I was his hero this Christmas. And now, his room is covered with Lego sculptures. And then this shows up in my mail box. Imagine a feature length animated film, that mixes up the Star Wars and Indiana Jones and The World Of Warcraft Lego sets – and crosses them with the Space Police and MINERS sets and then mix it with the sense of humor from the Star Wars and Indiana Jones and Batman video games – and you get a clue. I’m just hoping that next Christmas… that there are TRON Legos. Cuz. If I could go back in time and tell me that one day there would be TRON Legos… I’d just die happy. I don’t know why. But I want Glow In The Dark TRON Legos. Oh. BTW. This is a lot of fun. Seriously. It actually is cute, kinda subversive and a helluvalot of fun. Just like LEGOS should!

PRESUMED INNOCENT / FRANTIC (Blu Ray)

Warners is putting out a series of these DOUBLE FEATURE Blu Rays. I haven’t received any of them yet, so I can’t comment on whether they’re flip discs, two discs, one disc with both features on the same side, or what. But I will say, I love these films. This is the Harrison Ford I miss. Before he was President. Back when he was just a guy. A guy up to here in bad news. (my hand was right under my chin when I typed that, no really!) In particular, FRANTIC continues to get better and better for me. I sure hope this double feature disc is high quality.

THE CRAZIES (Blu Ray)

This is the other disc I’ve gotten in the last few months that just won’t play on my Blu Ray player and it is really frustrating. Cuz I really would like to have THE CRAZIES play on Blu Ray. Blue Undergrounds always does a great job, and I’m sure I just got a bad disc. And I’ll pick one up this Tuesday. But if you see THE CRAZIES this week, I hope you also pick up Romero’s original. It is a really strong film. I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say the remake is better, as much as it is just a different version that I also like a lot.

SORORITY ROW

Really, what are you expecting? It is slightly better than that. Slightly.

Don’t get lured in, they’re not really noirs, strictly speaking, and in addition, they’re not very good films. Give this a pass.

ICHI THE KILLER (Blu Ray)

At long last, a film… that is amongst my most desired on Blu Ray is available. And it isn’t crazy pricey!!! $17! I am very pleased! For me, this is Miike’s FIGHT CLUB and I love it appropriately. Watching this film, I can’t help but think the world is melting outside. It still just kinda blows my mind. ICHI THE KILLER is one of my top picks of the 2000s.

THE LAST GRENADE

Because there’s too few Stanley Baker films, it pains me to say this was just fucking dreadful. At its best it could have been DARK OF THE SUN, at its worst… it is what it is. How bad was this film? This was one of those films that was so bad, I looked the director up, made note of him, and looked at his whole filmography to mark off my list of films to see. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to have directed much feature work. Perhaps he had evil producers and there was some sort of gas leak during the production. I don’t know. If a movie can be retarded, this is retarded. Otherwise, it would seem like it should be great.

And that ends FEBRUARY… and the longest break in the 6 year history of this DVD column, but seriously I was burnt out. But ya know what, after finishing this, I have to tell you – I’m really anxious to get to this upcoming week. There’s things I discover when doing this column that I miss if I don’t. Movies that I ordered instantly like discovering that PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE import. Click. Heh. And, honestly, I really do love the column. I’m back in play – and it is with that feeling that I say, next week, we’ll be looking at: 2012, PONYO, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, MY NEIGHBOR TORORO, CASTLE IN THE SKY, John Carpenter’s ELVIS, KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE, CLASH OF THE TITANS on Blu, the 1933 ALICE IN WONDERLAND which will blow your minds, THE NEVERENDING STORY on Blu, BITCH SLAP, THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN on Blu, GENTLEMEN BRONCOS, THE WRAITH, for Jeff Mahler I’ll look at KIT KITTREDGE: AN AMERICAN GIRL, WE LIVE IN PUBLIC and that’s about it!

This is my favorite part of this site and I'm glad it finally got back up and running. Personally, don't think you need to apologize for taking a while to get it going, everybody gets block every once and a while. Good to have you back Harry.

How exactly would that work? Do we find out in part two that he had a bulletproof face all along?

Feb. 21, 2010, 11:16 a.m. CST

by ManosTHOF

No need to apologize, Harry. Nice to see you, and this was a typically great "Picks & Peeks". I'm with you on Fear and Loathing-- I want the Criterion Edition (with HST commentary) on Blu-Ray, and can wait until an edition with the same (or similar) features is released.

Running Man is nowhere NEAR as bad as Batman and Robin. I worked for a radio station in Lawrence at the time Batman and Robin came out and we got a free media screening of it and I STILL felt ripped off after seeing it.

Harry, you seem to not be able to do the DVD column with any regularity anymore, and you always have convenient excuses for it. Why don't you just get someone to do it who can devote the attention to it that it deserves and get it done on a regular weekly basis. We, the regular visitors ot this site deserve nothing less.

dont see the big deal for this column, cant you google new releases on Tuesdays? these articles are whack compared to the real site owners Chicago screenings... oh man, those are great... and i didnt really read or look thru it, but did he say he hated Black Dynamite? if so, we need Capone to slap some redhead around...

... i cant wait to these dvds articles come out annually... "Harrys DVD picks of 2011"... look into your hearts, ya know its comin (well that is if Capone decides to keep him on board after his full transformation into site owner)

Haven't seen the Blu-Ray, but I remember complaints about the original DVD release, that it wasn't super-clean and bright and updated. And the reason was that Coppola DIDN'T want it super clean and bright, he wanted it to look old and like the 70s. <p> Anyone else remember that? Is this the same thing with the Blu-Ray?

Feb. 21, 2010, 11:44 a.m. CST

by joegiant

Feb. 21, 2010, 11:45 a.m. CST

by Cobra--Kai

Harry, a girl you'd not met before starting making out with you at a press screening? Not only that, she actually sucked you off?<p>
Beats being passed a brown envelope with money in I guess.<p>
"THE PHANTOM ROCKS!!" Aicn

Sorcerer actually IS on dvd, but the MO' FO's put it out Pan n Scan/Full Frame.
it's probably no longer available.
The last half of Sorcerer is amazing.
With HD TV becoming so commonplace, it's possible an HD Print will be struck for broadcast.
Fingers crossed

If Harry dated some chick...and Harry was the one who got the raw end of that deal...it creates a fantastical image of what she must have looked like. The imagination goes wild.

Feb. 21, 2010, 11:51 a.m. CST

by Cobra--Kai

The big action sequence near the start of THE RUNNING Man when Arnie and others are doing a prison break is a lot of fun. They've all got these detonating collars on and when one guy tries to run for it the collar goes off and his head explodes.<p>
Any film with exploding heads can't be all bad.

I own it; got it off Amazon. Here's the link - $13.49. No bells and whistles and its fullscreen (Friedken was like Kubrick - he wanted the format of the video releases of his flicks in a TV aspect ratio back then), but hey, its Sorcerer on DVD!
http://www.amazon.com/Sorcerer-Roy-Scheider/dp/078322947X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1266774583&sr=1-1

Maybe you need to approach that film as a comedy (which for all intents and purposes it is) instead of an action film. Granted I haven't seen that film in years but I remember laughing my ass off to (at?) it.

;)<p>
So many good movies listed there! I'm having genuine trouble picking a favourite. I know most people would automatically assume I'd go with Ran (if they even gave a shit to begin with), but I think I might just prefer Ichi the Killer. It's the most glorious, amoral cinematic comic ever made! None of these movies that have come out in the last few years have quite captured the feel of reading a comic (or manga, in this case) like Ichi the Killer.<p>
S'far as the newer movies go, I wouldn't let Harry's initial reaction put you off Black Dynamite. BD is the way you do a spoof. I can easily see someone watching it and thinking, "What is this retarded shit?" But they're either not familiar with any of the original blaxploitation movies, or didn't respond to the kind of tone the filmmakers were gunning for. I'm not saying that disliking the movie means you didn't "get" it, just in case someone goes there. It was just so damn well balanced, none of those standard jokes and forced one-liners that cake the scripts of Zucker and Mike Myers movies. And it was also really refreshing (and in a way strangely depressing) to see black characters treated with respect. I say depressing because it takes seeing a movie like this to realise how few different types of roles black actors are considered for. I know a lot of the original blaxploitation directors were white, but a large part of that movement was simply giving black actors work when they couldn't get any.

Look like they were intended too..crushed blacks and overblown whites on occasion..as they were shot. Can't ask for more than that.
Also, was it just me who thought Zombieland was really dull. A few good gags in search of anything approaching a narrative.

My favourite film, right next to Aliens. Will own this puppy soon... haven't seen it in more than two years since loaning my last copy (bought it a couple times already on DVD) to a friend who lost it immediately. I really don't fucking understand how people lose DVDs... Now when is Aliens coming out on blu-ray so that life can be complete?

Because I can't believe he could hate Running Man. Actually even when it was new on video when I was 13, I found it fairly cheesy. It's probably Arnold's cheapest looking movie, unless you count Raw Deal. But I don't see how you can be a Schwarzenegger fan who was a young teenager in Arnold's prime, and not love Running Man.

As a half Jap, i realized we are some sick people... just look at Miikes movies... and no where else in the world can i picture "pimps" standin at a subway, tryin to get some new workin girls... but then again i only been to two countries and aruba (those lewis black commercials hit it on the head)

I forgot about your recent immobilization when typing that. I meant to be an irascible cunt, but I didn't mean to be so acutely insensitive. I apologize, Harry. Big fan.
<p>Now back to regularly scheduled (and irregularly delivered) video column.

Love ya, Harry, but this is one film I hugely disagree with you on. I think this was one of the best films of the past decade. There is so much character depth in that film that is carried out perfectly by each actor. Robbins owns that movie. Still one of my favorite films of all time.

There's a lot of parody in The Running Man (check out the cheeseball lame outfit that Jessie the Body Ventura has to wear and how he disgustedly throws it away). If it's "god awful" that's actually intentional on it's part. It's a funny movie, hell, almost a comedy.

I thought Bruce Willis did a great job in Surrogates, and it was fun whenever we saw what someone looked like for real. Surrogates is a movie I could actually see happening for real, at least the idea of the surrogates: at some point we'll be able to make very realistic robotic bodies, and we're always advancing controlling robotic limbs with the brain, restoring certain senses and stuff. I think when it gets to that point, people *will* want to start walking the world with those, because it is much safer, and you can choose how you want to look.

predicted our current reality show television programming... to the extreme. its an 80's flick for gods sake. everything 80's had a bit of cheese to it. this flick embraced the cheese. i'd much rather watch this than "the condemned" or "gamer" which are actually just remakes of this film.

Sure the score is no Beverly Hills Cop, Fletch or Tango and Cash but it isn't supposed to be since it's science fiction. Faltermeyer is out of hibernation and scored Cop Out. If you haven't heard the Cop Out main theme here it is. It's fucking awesome. http://tinyurl.com/yaqjajx

I can't remember why you brought it up, but I love that movie. It's rare to see a film where the twists and turns genuinely blindside you. Plus, casting the guy who played Charlie Manson in Helter Skelter as an escaped convict who you're never quite sure of was a move of divine inspiration. And of course, Peter O' Toole was Godlike in that film. For those who think O'Toole's legend status is undeserved or who only know him from Lawrence of Arabia, you really need to see the triptych of awesomeness that is The Ruling Class, My Favorite Year and The Stunt Man.<p>
And I must have missed Phantom of the Paradise when I first saw the list of releases. I think that might be my favourite movie out this month after all.

I remember sitting with the 8th graders (not because I was cool, but because they accepted me) and Josh Babiaz (which is not even close the actual spelling of his last name) kept raving about this movie he'd seen called "The Running Man". Boy he loved that movie. He must have recited every death scene to me over the course of a few days. And still, I have never seen it. (Maybe I don't want to spoil the images Josh planted in my head.)

Harry brought up the subject of "film within film" films with CONTEMPT. (And the tyrannical director in THAT movie was none other than Fritz Lang!) Your comments are spot-on. STUNT MAN is hugely underrated. It's a real mind-bender of a film, appropriately shot through with references to ALICE IN WONDERLAND and DON QUIXOTE. Terrific performances, hugely quotable script, great score by Dominic Frontiere ... an all-around incredible piece of film-making. Rush made a documentary about the long and storied production history that's a bit of an ego trip, but still fascinating. The 2-disc Anchor Bay DVD is an essential purchase in my book.

the directors cut of Cabin Fever? worth picking up? i always liked that movie... for the sheer WHAT THE FUCKness of it. sexy. goofy. icky. shocking. PANCAKES! that being said, the sequel was terrible. every scene looks washed out, the characters seemed borrowed from Superbad, but with terrible dialogue. the kid from Deadgirl was so much better in that film. the "effects" were awful. the first film had these realistic looking and layered makeup effects. this looked like it was made for about $500. they cut off the kids forearm and its still the same length with the bandage on? no budget for green screen? i didnt buy one single effect. also, the cartoons at the beginning and end of the film just screams "we ran out of money".

Jingle all the Way<p>
Batman & Robin<p>
End of Days<p>
The 6th Day<p>
Collateral Damage<p>
Junior<p>
Around the World in 80 Days<p>
Raw Deal<p>
Conan The Destroyer (A PG Conan movie???) <p>
Even the greats produce a lot of shit

had me falling off the couch! MJW is a fucking awesome martial artist. the guy could be a contender in the UFC heavyweight division. no guy that big should move that fast. (see Blood and Bone, this guy is legit.) that being said, he has great comedy timing, something i never would have guessed. the movie does such a great job of spoofing blacksploitation films. things i loved.... the boom mic hitting him in the head while he's giving a "dramatic" line... he looks up at it clearly annoyed but stays in character... the "should have edited the take 5 seconds ago" shots where a line is delivered and he breaks character... cars bursting into flames for no reason, then showing the bad guy in the interior, then continuing with a shot of a different car from earlier in the movie still on fire going off the same cliff.... the intentional bad edits and jump cuts, music that tells you what you are seeing...the kung fu treachery. the dialogue is absolutely brilliant. "who saw that comi... er, who saw where that came from?" or "i threw that shit before i walked in the room haha!" or "a lot of cats have that name" or "i am smiling". just watch it. you will see.
besides, what other movie has kung fu fighting with Richard Nixon?

who the fuck thinks otherwise? Are you insane? Sure it's no TERMINATOR or CONAN, but it's definitely in his 2nd tier of greats. The camp and parody was intentional, although not as brilliantly done as ROBOCOP.

Well, personal taste is subjective of course but I always found it to be one of his better movies, it had ludicrous action, some daft editing, poor continuity, but boy was it fun. Great soundtrack (I MEAN JOHN PARR!! COME ON, HOW FUCKING AWSOMELY BAD AND WONDERFUL CAN IT BE ALL AT ONCE!!) great quips (Give you a lift?) and a seriously hot girl. Plus, the lesser known Frog brother in a cameo as a rebel. Awesome, awesomely good 'bad' movie and I put it ahead of Commando, Raw Deal, even Red Heat when it comes to his 2nd tier movies.

The Running Man was cinematic genius. Although it feels seriously dated now, I watched the original VHS copy until the magnetic tape tore. It's funny how you can love the most inane, pedantic shit from Italy, but you turn your back on Arnie. Keep tugging on that crack pipe Harry.

If you have to see one first, see that. Sorcerer's a good movie, and the only one out of the two to get a Simpsons parody (see the Mr. Plow episode), but sorry Wages of Fear is one of the purest action movies ever made, along with Seven Samurai. Unbeatable. Just put Clouzot's original out of your mind when you're watching Sorcerer and you'll have a good time.

1080i, sped-up PAL to NTSC converted garbage. Look up the awful truth on DVDBeaver for yourselves. And before anyone comes with some bullshit about how it's a limitation of what materials exist for the film, the French Blu-ray is true 1080p 24fps - meaning that the Dragon Dynasty Blu-ray is a straight up ripoff. On their Facebook page, Dragon Dynasty has already admitted that their forthcoming release of THE KILLER will also be PAL to NTSC converted. Consider this a public service announcement.

He probably didn't mention the release of M. because it is a foreign release. My advice to you is to wait anyway, because Criterion is putting out their version of that wonderfully creepy Peter Lorre film in May, and if it's half as good as their DVD edition of M., it'll be worth the wait.

Thanks for bringing back the DVD column! I understand getting swamped and writer's block, I'm just glad it wasn't gone forever. That said, I did want to ask why there were no reviews posted on AICN for Scorcese's Shutter Island? I saw the film and it was definitely a major misstep for Marty, but for you not to even post a review? One has to wonder if that has to do with not wanting to post negativity about a movie that is advertising as we speak on your site. Please tell me this is not the case!

Anyone here read The Running Man book? I read it back in the 90s when I used to always have a novel on the go. If they ever remake Running Man I'd like to see that version. Let's just say the ending would make quite the splash in a post-9/11 world.

I'm done with this site. It's been a long time coming. For years now, AICN has broken no news, misinterpreted and fucked up the slim stories they could get their hands on, and written horrendous reviews that I almost never agree with (and I have pretty broad tastes). And now Harry takes forever to write the only good feature still on the site because he's been playing Farmville, and then once he does write it, he admits that he hates both Mystic River and The Running Man? The end has been a long time coming, and Moriarty's departure was the nail in the coffin. Cool runnings, AICN.

....but yet the genre critics love it, praising how authentic it is and nothing else. Yes, it's convincingly authentic; but no, that does not make it "good", "clever", "original", or "entertaining". Plenty of (better) B classics already out there, do we really need a modern intentional mimic? This type of flick didn't make a splash then (for a reason) and it fails to make one now for the same reason(s). Kudos on the technical accomplishment, making models I am aware of how much effort it takes sometimes to make something look naturally shitty, but maybe half of the same slavish devotion should have gone into the writing. Hey, just like Avatar!

I agree. AICN should be folded, Harry spends more time on Twatter. It's clear his heart isn't in it anymore. What was once young and edgy has become middle-aged and flabby. Sad, but just the way life goes I guess.

There is a stretch near the end where it kinda goes off the rails. However, it's a gritty 70's-era film and contains two fantastic sequences = the fallen tree explosion and the driving of transport trucks over rope bridges. Pretty good stuff.

Whatever studio put the film out failed their star miserably by not pushing it for a Best Actor Oscar nod. It's like Hardy absorbed Charlie Bronson into himself and then displayed the real man in his performance. It is insane that he didn't get a nomination.

there is a dvd column. What the hell, Farmville and tweeting?! Get off your ass man. It's just once a week where you really have to write something. I had to do a 120 page thesis for my M.A. man and would to be in your place! You are so lucky to have this spot in life where you receive free items and get to review movies and comics for a living!!!!!! Do not take it for granted man or us readers who expect and deserve a weekly column. We pay your bills man, do not forget that. You are better than that. By the way Farmville is for teen douchebags and tweeting is for egotistical primadonnas.

Plus it has supernatural elements to it, which makes me like it even more. It probably plays better if you're Jewish or if you know people that practice the faith. I'm not Jewish myself, but a lot of my friends are, so I got some of the references.

...at the age of four, had a little note inside saying that everyone at Lego worked very hard and cared very much about Lego...and that the plural of Lego is Lego...and to please ask your friends to say it correctly.<P>I'm not kidding. <P>I took the request very seriously.

is fuckin' insanely gorgeous. Besides, Carrie Fisher as the Sorority house mother was hilarious, what with her shotgun and foul mouth. I watch a lot of Horror movies and I found this one to be fun and a little messed up. Right up my alley.

It's terrible on so many levels, yet brilliant on others. I agree that it mirrors our own current "reality tv" obsessed addle brained society. It's kinda scary that way. Kinda like how Soylent Green is scary. I like that movie too.

The british girl they got to dub the evil girl is just creepy. It also has a shitty vhs quality transfer. But it does have one memorable line on the English dub about how disgusting it is watching people eat. It just seemed so random, yet vicious. Again, this was on the English dub, so I have no idea what was actually said in that scene. Hell, the girl could have been talking about sunshine and kittens.

...too.<P> Also, I have fantasies about Terry Gross. I realize that in the flesh...maybe not so hot. But she can use the power of her voice to talk me through it.<P>As the French say...in the dark, all cats are gray.

We don't desrve anything from Harry. Do you people subscribe to this site? Do you pay Harry in exchange for a service? That's right. You sure fucking don't.<p>
And Harry isn't lucky to receive movies in the mail and go to free screenings and run this website. He chose to do this. He didn't win the job lottery. He had an idea, worked hard to bring it to fruition, and now he's living a pretty good life. You miserable bastards are bitter and deluded because you can't face the fact that you put yourselves right smack in the middle of the rat race. You should have started a movie web site. Oh well, too bad for you. You made poor choices.

One of the funniest moments from Happy Days was a later episode after Ron Howard had left the show. Mr. and Mrs. Cunnigham are going to the movies but due to plot complications Mr. C gets angry and decides they aren't going. Mrs. C gets upset because she really wanted to see The Music Man. "That little Ronnie Howard reminds me of Ritchie at that age." Mr. C looks at a picture on Ron Howard on the Music Man movie poster, the studio audience goes, "Awwww..." Then Mr. C goes, "Oh you're out of your mind Marion!"

"To Living Dead in LA" and "ToNight of the Living Dead in LA" would have filled out the trilogy just nice. Seriously though. Great movie. It was the first movie I can remember watching with the good guy being an antihero. And let's not forget they had the balls to kill him off. I wasn't all that schooled on film when I first watched this when it first came out on video, but I was blown away how much they diverted from the typical Hollywood formula at the time.<br><br>
Two of my favorite films from the 80s were To Live and Die in LA and Manhunter. Both starred Peterson and both unfortunately are a bit dated because they were both overly reliate on cheesy 80s music and fashion.

I haven't seen the Robocop one, but Criterion has made some excellent discs, including the most comprehensive version of Silence of the Lambs ever released on any format, Amazingly clear versions of Hitchcock's 39 Steps, Rebecca, Notorious, a version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas that I'm saving until a better blu version is released, They made Dazed and Confused look better than I've ever seen it, and, of the blu ray Kurosawa films I've seem, they made them look like they could have been filmed yesterday. They have had a very strong, high quality reputation since the days of laserdisc, and have been the only outlet for a lot of classic, yet otherwise overlooked films from across the globe and the history of cinema. Their dvd version of M. was actually a white whale of mine for quite a while until my cousin found it at a half price books in Austin. But I can say they are very reputable in the departments of both restoration and extras.

sorry, must have missed it. I wasn't expecting it then when it didn't come out here in Houston for another couple months. I'll check it out because I am curious how you guys felt about it, because I was sadly very disappointed in what I saw.

here is the specs for the Criterion blu ray of M. as per High-Def Digest: "Fritz Lang's 1931 crime drama is slated for a high-definition release this May.
The Criterion Collection says 'M' is coming to Blu-ray on May 11.
The Blu-ray release will feature 1080p video, a German LPCM mono soundtrack (with English subtitles), and supplements include: Audio commentary by German film scholars Anton Kaes and Eric Rentschler; The long-lost English-language version of M; Documentary on the physical history of M, from production to distribution to digital restoration; Conversation with Fritz Lang, a fifty-minute film by William Friedkin; Claude Chabrol's short film M le maudit, plus a video interview with Chabrol; Classroom audiotapes of editor Paul Falkenberg discussing M and its history, set to clips from the film; Video interview with Harold Nebenzal, son of M producer Seymour Nebenzal; Stills gallery, with behind-the-scenes photos and production sketches; and a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Stanley Kauffmann, a 1963 interview with director Fritz Lang, the script for a missing scene, and contemporaneous newspaper articles.
Suggested list price for the Blu-ray has been set at $39.95."
whichever version you get, it's a great movie and an excellent beginning for Peter Lorre, who appears in quite a few of the classic movies on my shelf.

if you're at all an Alec Guiness fan, seek out Criterion's Kind Hearts & Coronets...an excellent film with Guiness playing many parts and seemingly having fun in them all that I never would have known if not for Criterion and seeing a young Obi-Wan on the cover

Why would you want anybody to have to endure that shit? Two hours of a poor girl being raped and tortured in a basement for no reason other than being an orphan and ending up with the wrong relative. Why would you want to watch that shit on purpose? Maybe having kids will change your views on torture porn.

one of those books Mr. King wrote as Richard Bachman and it absolutely kicks ass!!when compared to the book the movie sucks ass and only bares a slight resemblence to the story that the Stephenantor orginally wrote( they both are about game shows in which the contestant gets hunted) the movie as a stand alone, with no comparasion made to the King story the the movie is a corny action flick that has some pretty funny moments and Richard dawson does a pretty good job. best scene of course is when Arnie meets with his court appointed agent and buries his pen in the dudes back. as an aside Harry once again demonstrates his total lack of profesionalism poor baby is suffering from burn out so just blows off what i see as a resonsibilty. he is sent prescreeners with the agreement that he will review them in a timely manner and share those opinions with us but the douche bag is just to fucking lazy to do it. other people in a profesional capacity suffer from real burn out. guess what the do? the find some one to fill in so that information coinutes to get dismeninated in a timley manner and they take a vaction. but since the begining of the year he has continued to fuck his audience, he even at one point PROMISED to get his shit together and catch up. yea that happened...fuck you Harry

I know, I'm crazy!
"And there’s no denying it", I'm denying it, Godfather II does not match or top The Godfather. Really good movie, but Godfather is truly great.
Ong Bak 2 is pretty bad, its bland, not anything special. I don't think the movie is insane, or lost on me, just completely unoriginal.
I don't like Gangs of New York or To Live and Die in LA.
Mystic River is great, Kevin Bacon knocks it out of the park, as does everybody, now how about you get me a MEATBALL SUB while you're at it?
The Running Man is awesome, I rewatched it with some peeps just a few weeks ago, it's still got it. It's clever, hilarious, badass.
"You're lucky he didn't kill you, too. Or rape you, then kill you. Or kill you, then rape you."
Black Dynamite is awesome. "I threw that shit before I walked in the room!"
The story about Billy Zane's Phantom and BJs was awesome tho.

Terry interviewed Cameron recently and I swear he was about to cum when she brought up the subject of Jake's disability. Apparently he was passionate about making a handicapped person the hero of the story and was surprised people weren't talking that up more. Terry def made his day. She has that uncanny ability to distinguish herself from your average run-of-the-mill interviewer, for sure. Always a treat to listen to her.

...then Sarah Palin, the queen of fake outrage will anoint herself the defender of all special needs kids (as if they need a half-governor or anyone else to defend them) and will go after you on Facebook (like a 13 year old girl)<BR><BR>Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children?

Phantom of the Paradise... not so much. I tried watching it and it was really just, weird. So now I'm not cool. Oh well. The scene in Mystic River when they discover the girls body, Sean Penn fucking nailed it.So intense and real. Goose bumps every time.

Hey I didn't notice the Guild recommendation on the first scan. That shit is hilarious. Zaboo is a great character in particular. I also love Legend of Neil which is created by teh guy playing Zaboo. It's about a guy who gets magically transported into the game when he auto-eroto-asphyxiates himself while drunk and playing a game of Zelda.

Because if you have, it sure as hell doesn't sound like you remember it. Asking for a Petersen led TL&DiLA trilogy is like asking for Gwyneth Paltrow to topline a sequel to Se7en, kinda makes it look like you either haven't been paying attention, or else you're just plain talking out of your ass.<p>Despite that, To Live & Die in L.A. really is a fantastic film, and an absolute must see for crime film fans. <p>As for Sorcerer, Friedkin recorded a commentary track for that years ago, and they did source and remaster a new print for festivals and dvd release, this time in its proper OAR, but then for some strange reason the promised special edition re-release never actually ended up seeing the light of day. No real idea why though, as according to Friekin, everything was "good to go" and "in the can" at the time as far as the proposed special edition dvd was concerned. And this was years ago now. All in all very annoying, not least of all because I haven't seen Sorcerer for years, and would love to reaquaint myself with it, and do so in the way that it was intended to be seen.

Harry you should hasve mentioned that this version of Gangs of New York is the remastered version...meaning an updated version of the original Blu Ray which had a terrible video transfer...same as when The 5th Element came out with a remastered edition...Gangs looks a lot better now

Many misfires first time out of the gate. As mentioned - Fifth Element and also Full Metal Jacket, Gladiator and Gangs just to name a few. Some have been remastered and released again, some not. Hold off buying Fear and Loathing In LV cuz that one looks no better than the HD-DVD from a hundred years ago. That Blu-ray needs a much cleaner source print to do justice. And on we go...

Believe it or not, but I have never heard from anyone who disliked The Running Man. I mean that. Not once. Sure, some like it more than others, but I have yet to hear someone say it is bad. I've loved it since I was younger, and I still do. I find time for it at least twice a year, and it just gets better and better. Once of the classic Arnold films. For all of the crap Harry continues to call "bliss," The Running Man gets the Ratner remark? Every single last bit of "Greek cred" Harry had is now gone.
<P>
"I'll be back!" "Only in a rerun."

I liked House of the Devil. I don't know what you are talking about when you mention models. But its just a solid horror film. Sort of a throwback in terms of style. But at the same time interesting enough to be something new...unlike Shit Island.

I bought that first piece of shit Blu-ray (cheap so didn't see the point of an even more shit DVD version and I'd never owned it). I want to know if they've said anything about swapsies or something. And did they ever fix the awful framing problem in Pirates 1?

Not over rated at all. I rented it on hype alone and loved it. Not really a lot of weak moments for what it was. And BringingsexyBack,it's not wrong. I'm sure that dick head and his lame attempt at "shock humor" is not allowed within a hundred feet of a school or Chucky Cheese's.They dont break outthe ban hammer nearly enough in this sewer.

It's set on a cheesy game show. It's all about violence being staged for TV entertainment in a faux and cheesy setting. And it oddly did predict a bit of what "reality" tv would end up being. Some of the shocking game shows they promo don't seem quite so insanely over the top now.

The Phantom is amazing in the cheesy The Shadow sort of way and a near-perfect action adventure. Like Brendan Fraser's The Mummy minus the over-exuberant effects. And the Phantom of the Paradise is just awesome. A fun pair-up with de Palma's own Sisters to see just how fuck great early de Palma was.

Well acted movie that managed to be both well-done and unfulfilling. Sure, Robbins did an amazing job and his backstory as revealed througout the movie offers him up as a the perfect lamb to the slaughter of this charged emotional drama. Penn bears all. Bacon gives his best performance in years. And Eastwood is at his perfect unrestrained best. But, this movie is curiously unaffecting. It's a little boring and surprisingly slight. In the end, you have a story told in two and a half hourse that could have been told in a thirty minute shot film by more economical filmmakers.

I'll never get either people's fascination with this flaming piece of shit or that worthless hack Miike! God! I simply don't get it. How is this fucker popular with seemingly well-minded people?! Audition is disgusting, and Ichi is disgusting plus offensive but without the early periods of moral terpitude. And Cyborg Samurai is utter shit. Fuck Miike. Fuck him in his stupid ear.

Very surprised Harry that you did not know that The Running Man is a non official remake (there was even a lawsuit and the original authors won) of "The Prize of Peril", a great Yves Boisset flick with Gerard Lanvin and an amazing Michel PICCOLI as the anchorman. So there can only be a remake of "The Prize of Peril", and I heard it's coming. The original movie is great, and you definitely must see it.

It says 25.99 on Amazon. On Pirates, there's a whole bit in the barn/iron worker's shop/whatever it's fucking called that I can't think of right now. Just outrageously off framing with heads cut off and all that.
<p>
Yeah, Gotcha indeed. Oh well, at least I listened and didn't jump 'til the remastered 5th Element came out. And My copy of Hunger gets to me tomorrow. I had no idea Fassbender was in it! I really wanted to see it at the movies but it came and went like that.

INTRODUCE A DVD review, (and in the rare occasion, one I haven't SEEN)..AND YOU ALMOST CATCH MY interest by saying it's amazing, then no review(bout the plot,etc.) Why even bother?I'm back to square one.

Donnie Darko lost its allure on repeated viewings, and Southland Tales was donkeyshit straight out of the gate, Box looked interesting from previews but then it came out and everyone said it either sucked or blew (like MegaMaid!)

pissed me off. Tony Jaa is fun to watch, but that movie just stopped. It just fucking stopped. No resolution, nothing, like I only got part of the story. Did not like that at all. Still want to check out Ong Bak 3, though, and would love to see Jaa gain more of a following here in the States

intentional. Jaa blew a gasket and left the production. Eventually The guy who directed the first one had to come in and finish it and it was decided they'd throw in that crap ending and just make a 3rd movie to wrap it up. Of course the 3rd looks as awesome as ever but still.

Some good scenes but no narrative structure whatever. As a result it gets boring and repetitive really quickly. That's what happens when you stick two episodes of a TV show together and call it a movie.

...at an art house in Amsterdam in January of 09'. Actually, it wasn't just an art house, it was national Cinema Museum of the Netherlands.<p>
Completely BRUTAL. At least I think it was. That particular day we were smoking the White Widow. It almost killed me.

I understand the burnout it happens to everyone , even when it's something we love to do..I hope all the shit we gave you was taken with a good dose of brevity.
A lot of people consider this a dream job and would give their left nut to be in your position but have no idea of the time and effort that putting this site together and coordinating all the info and articles and contests on a daily basis..
I applaud your decision and renewed
vigor for the DVD column...thanks

I loved, LOVED, this movie when I was younger. I saw it again recently and it REALLY did not age well. It's like going through a checklist of every police drama in the 80's. The only saving grace is FF to the Willem Dafoe scenes.

Feb. 22, 2010, 12:21 p.m. CST

by seppukudkurosawa

You guys just have the most backwards logic. If someone lists dozens of movies every month and gives their opinions on them, no fuck you're gonna disagree with one of them every now and then. That's the nature of individuality. I bet if most of you watched The Running Man again in the cold light of day you'll see it's not quite as fun as you remembered it. (Although I definitely like it a whole lot more than Harry). It's not even as if Harry slammed a top-tier Arnie movie here. If he'd called Conan the Barbarian "God-awful," I would be none too happy, but I wouldn't write him off because of it. Reactionary douchebags.

On a degree of sheer inpenetrable insanity, I love that movie. Quotable, surprising, perplexing, and funny as hell! Kelly deserves some props for giving the Rock something to do other than mug for Disney and anyone that can find some good work for Jon Lovitz deserves my respect. Not since A Scanner Darkly have I felt more high walking out of a movie without actually smoking anything and thought to myself that I maybe shouldn't drive home right away.

There is some pure 80's cheesiness in there that I think is spectacular and it's funny as fuck to watch, but it is completely indefensible on an artistic level. If someone wants to call it god-awful, I can't argue with them.

I just don't get Miike love. That man is fucking worthless! I just can't understand how so many people have gotten deluded into thinking that he's this amazing cinematic provocateur when, in essence, he's Eli Roth with a nasty streak of chauvinism. Maybe it's gone over my head, but when I see somebody praising, or even becoming slightly interested, in news about Ichi Blu I have to shake my head in wonder and a touch of disgust.

excellent reviews, though I disagree with you on some and haven't seen many of the new pictures. But I have to say, man - blaming the lateness or absence of this column on Farmville or tweets doesn't cut it. THIS IS YOUR JOB. If most of us don't show up to work, or don't do our work while on the job, we don't get paid. Even freelancers don't get paid if they don't keep up with the contracts. You have a monetary obligation (and, frankly, an ethical obligation) to keep up with your assignments. If you can't, perhaps you should find another contributor who will enjoy doing the DVD column. Thank you.

Harry,
I have been a regular visitor to your site for nearly 10 years now. In the past few years, I especially enjoyed your DVD column as it clued me into what to put on my Netflix list and helped me find things that I missed. It was one of the best features on your site.<p>
Now, this column comes so infrequently, that I no longer use your site to set up my picks. I have found other, more timely resources. This means that I visit your site much less than I used to.<p>
There is a good chance I am not the only person that feels this way. There is a good chance you don't care. Fair enough. Still as a publisher, any loss of readership should be something to look at, and this is something. If this is no longer a feature that you care about, than it will not matter. If it is, and if you consider any aspect of your site to be journalistic in nature, then it may be time to find a writer who can post in a regular and timely fashion. I don't know why you stick with this. I would not presume that you do it just for the freebies, as I have a good enough sense that you are a generous guy and you problably share the wealth.<p>
Maybe you just love to do this column, and that's great. But as a writer, don't you think you could serve your readers better? Just a thought.

the movie ripped off the french movie "Le prix du danger" directed by Yves Boisset based on the prize of peril story written by Robert Sheckley. Several sequences were lifted from the french movie and doesn't appear at all in the stephen king book.

Why not start tackling some real news stories? Hell, even rumors? There are SO many interesting stories about what's in development and who has been cast in what out there on the internet that AICN DOES NOT COVER . And its extremely disappointing. I dunno what the solution is- hiring more people, paying more attention, caring more, being willing to print stories that may turn out to be untrue (like you did in the interesting old day), but I'd like to see it happen. Just a suggestion from a long-time reader.

changed about AICN. Screener/competition articles cockblocking the main page could be sorted out just by giving them their own block in the corner, away from the actual articles. The same goes for all those "AICN Australia," "AICN Anime" type articles. But it's a proven fact that if you make too many drastic changes to an internet site with a regular number of visitors, it's very likely a large portion of them will fall off. People are weird and conservative like that.<p>
Also, I just don't think AICN is posting the right news stories. Every one of the editors must get emailed hundreds of stories every day, but they only seem to choose to post the most uninteresting ones. I get that AICN doesn't do celeb gossip news and stuff like that, which is respectable...but there's been an awful lot of bland articles lately. Harry's always referring to his "spies." But does he really have any, at all? It's been quiet a while since I saw an AICN exclusive.<p>
Meh, I'll stop the ranting. I'm glad the column's back. But it should be obvious to anyone that the real hardcore film fans, who just get ennervated discussing movies, come to the DVD Column talkbacks. It has the most substantial posts out of any feature on the site. It would be cool if you could find a way to make it a more regular thing.

I am capable of poor grammar,lousy punctuation, random tangents that have nothing to do with what I am writing about, and I know how to spell "Bliss" and promise not to use it less than 15 times an article.

Look at Geoff Johns twitter. He pretty much practically confirms Mark Strong will be Sinestro in Green Lantern. Will it turn out to be true? Maybe, maybe not. But shouldn't we at least get that bit of cool news on AICN for us to read and discuss?!

Also, I need a TV better than a 27" CRT. Also, I need a front room bigger than 11'x13' in which to put a larger TV and a sound system. Also, I need several thousand dollars a year so I can rent a new apartment with that front room and buy those toys.

Of all the videogames I played as a child only Smash TV and Rampage seemed to scream "make me into a movie". OK, Castlevania did too. And Ghosts and Goblins. I have a suspicion that we'll one day see someone attempt a GTA movie (and no, I'm not talkning about the Ron Howard film). I also have seriously high hopes for the upcoming Red Dead Redemption. I mean you get to hunt and skin animals in that game! Holy shit.

The care and commitment they put into their video releases is not only commendable, it sets the bar for every other studio. I can't wait to buy Hausu when it hits, that movie looks totally fuckin' insane.

Dawson is some kind of hilarious in The Running Man. Great slice of 80's era b-movie cheese, complete with Dweezil Zappa and Mick Fleetwood as revolutionaries. Not meant for cinematic criticism on an artistic level. Watch only with beer and marijuana.

Smash TV is basically Running Man: The game. Anyways, that flick is a classic that has an odd irony of "corny movie that is starting to become true", much like Demolition Man. Like when they splice Arnold's face onto the body of that other fighter...super sci-fi at the time, now they do CGI mapping onto actor's bodies all the time for movies. Oh ya, obligatory Running Man quote Girl: "But...they were last season's winners!" Pyro: "No, last year's loo-sers".

"If you don't shut up, I'm going to uplink your ass! You'll be on da ground!" The Running Man has no technical or artisitc merit whatsoever, but as a hilarious guilty pleasure cheese-fest I fuckin LOVE that movie.

...change somewhat into more of a social networking site...we could have "cool/uncool" buttons for articles to show what we are actually findin cool (and not just crackin jokes based off poor grammar, headline title, etc)...also, I think it would make spreading "cool" news easier if we are able to actually post about it (sorta like "tweeting")...now I know AICN might not have a super budget (the page looks EXACTLY the fuckin same since I first came here from when Batman&Robin came out except the change to that Harry animation thing), but you guys should start changin wit the times...Comingsoondotnet used to just post stories, but now you can actually comment on their stories (even though they are no where near as "cool" as these TBs...i think)...its like we're all just going through the motions (or just waiting for the new "cool geek site")...

It is very loosely based on an Indiana true story of the torture death of teenager SYLVIA LIKENS. Another film that is truer to the story is AN AMERICAN CRIME (2007). Wikipedia has some good info on all of the films and SLYVIA LIKENS. Such a sad case and many of the kid torturers merely got a slap on the wrist.

It's a reference to making models, just like I said. Making somethign look shitty isn't always easy (ie, tell the ILM guys that it's "easier" to make the used and gritty rebellion models over a shiny new Enterprise model), just as making a movie an almost identical throwback isn't easy, so I can appreciate the technical difficulties they faced...I just wish they'd done it to make a GOOD movie. I mean I get it, they wanted to make their own "me too me too", but there were more than enough of them THEN, we don't need them now, why not make a vintage flick that is also on par with say The Exorcist? It's again the Avatar argument-great, you were spendign so much time and effort to make ONE thing groundbreaking that you filled in the rest of it by lifting other peoples' works.

I don't always agree with Harry and when I don't, I can be harsh. But I do agree with his view of this megacrap. It IS "creepy" and the book, where the time traveller has sex with his future wife on the day she turns 18 (not a minor, but damn close), is even creepier. Seriously, even that Twilight bitch couldn't manage a creepier, more badly-written tome if she applied herself. Good review Harry. Sorry you had to sit through the thing.

The one with the mutant bear version of the Batman villain Two Face? The one with the unintentionally hilarious scene of Two-Face-Bear slapping a camper, who's stuck in his sleeping bag, against a rock and the kid dies in a hail of goose down? Proof positive that even Friedkin had his off moments.

Dita Von Teese and her like who cop that 50's look are sexy, but actual girls IN the 50's? Eh, not so much. A bit to much with the cottage cheese thighs for my tastes and also, this was an era long before Brazilian waxes. A guy could choke on those New-York-pizza-slice sized bushes!

Pending an investigation due to your opinion of the Running Man. It's shitey looking. It's cheap but it's spot on and actually BETTER than Cabin Fever....which is, in fact, shit but made by a friend of yours

I thought it was a very good, just shy of great, flick. And coming from a screaming liberal writer/director, did a good job of picking apart all the political whackjobs from both sides of the spectrum.

Damn straight. Yet again "cool news" broke today and it's nowhere to be found on AICN. Bruce Willis mentioned Die Hard 5 starting filming this year, likely with Len Wiseman back at the helm. AND, Ian McShane cast as Blackbeard in Pirates of the Carribbean On Stranger Tides. I guess the stories will hit AICN next week. HARRY, this isn't meant to be snarky, but seriously man, you said you took a step back, look at the travesty this site has become. What happened, man? You guys barely break stories any more. I miss the days when I learned about stuff here first. Please Harry for the love of God sink some money/new talent/new ideasd into this site, whatever it takes to bring it back to what it used to be.

I don't think the Unbreakable 2 counts as cool news because that means some dipshit studio head decided to bankroll another flaming turd from M Bison Shamalamadingdong, and that man can't direct rice to get fluffy in boiling water.

Ha, good one. Down Under we call it a "map of Tazzie" because the island of Tasmania (which gets left off many maps of Oz), is pretty much that shape too. Lotta bush as well. There are also a whole buncha lesbians down there, but I'm not sure if that's connected to the euphemism, heh.

...I VILL NOT FIRE UN INNOZENT PEOPLE." Add me to the list of people completely puzzled by Harry's hatred of RUNNING MAN. Is it cheap and cheesy? For sure. But come on! Jim Brown, Jesse Ventura, Richard Dawson, Sven-Ole Thorsen, Professor Toru Tanaka? "WHO LOVES YOU AND WHO DO YOU LOVE?" "...you're not gonna get that with reruns of Gilligan's Island. Gilligan's Island...da-duh-da-da-da...yeah, the one with the boat."

He's even in it and it doesn't utterly ruin it. I admit, there are a load of factors jostling for the place of "the thing that ruined running man" but like the fact that Mr Burns in the Simpsons had every disease known to man....they found equilibrium. Same here but with Mick Fleetwood and a load of other stuff. Film works great

Surprised at how extremely relevant this movie is, and how it wasn't lovey dovey bullshit. It's straight-up noir, packed with elegance that don't need the facile grit and the bling bling to get at the dirt of people & social motivations. Especially resonant too, with the times getting you all jaded w/ these teabaggers, & the general direction towards Nazi territory.</p>Probably never been an era as bogged down and as defeated as THIS, so this film comes in right about perfect.</p>

Surprised at how extremely relevant this movie is, and how it wasn't lovey dovey bullshit. It's straight-up noir, packed with elegance that don't need the facile grit and the bling bling to get at the dirt of people & social motivations. Especially resonant too, with the times getting you all jaded w/ these teabaggers, & the general direction towards Nazi territory.</p>Probably never been an era as bogged down and as defeated as THIS, so this film comes in right about perfect.</p>

You need to update your "firmware" or whatever they call it... use the LAN port on the back of your blu ray player and somewhere in your system settings you should find a section for a "system update"... download that and you should be good.

A number of possibilities:
*the "girl" Fat Harry refers to was really a hot dog bun. He'd removed the wiener, shoved that up his ass (no small feat) then moistened the bun with sweat from his second chin and then tongued it. Afterward, he glommed it on to his tiny manhood (again, no small feat) and imagined it was a "blowjob" from the "girl" seated next to him.
*Fat Harry was sitting next to a girl. He looked at her and then grinned. A bit of of his noxious breath disgusted her, and she vomited on him. She then punched him in the nuts and left her seat. Harry then made creative use of her vomit to ease his pain.
*The girl Fat Harry was seated next to was real, one of his usual high-paid whores. Though in actuality, this one was a man named Peaches.
*Harry was actually at home with a model of a theater. He had various action figure seated in the rows, including a custom of himself and the Phantom. After imagining he had actually been invited to the screening, he jammed the Phantom up his ass while masturbating.
Doc

I read all the hipe about this leading up to it's release. While I'll agree aesthetically it looks great (love the 80s vibe and setting), the mood is great - but it never seems to go anywhere. Even the last 30 mins when things FINALLY kick in, it never seemed to pay off. Maybe it's just me though.

An hour of watching a girl sit around a house looking out windows and doing NOTHING. 10 Mins of crazy stuff...then it ends. Waste of time, much better stuff out there right now. The Running Man ROCKS, great 80's piece of Arnold. The Girl Next Door is a brutal but FANTASTIC film, I only watched it once and that's enough for me, but it's a legendary flick man, great stuff.

Very underwhelming movie, given the talent involved. It really came across as nothing more than Oscar bait. Seems like Clint is batting .500 the last few years. He'll direct a really great movie, then something that falls totally flat. Unlike most people, though, I thought "Changeling" was great and "Gran Torino" borderline bad.

Motherfuckers are already talkin about a Gladiator re release and I'm at my wits end with this fuckin movie. FTR: They pulled this same shit with the original dvd that was shitty and then re released in 04,05 a special edition. Fuck YOU already Gladiator. You're starting to remind me of that hot chick we all love but cant tolerate.Sure she has a great ass , fantastic tits and she gives the best head you've ever had.But with all her other problems and BS all the time shes just too much to bear. You always want to say. "Who the fuck do you think you are girl Halle Berry?" .. Well I'm lookin at you Gladiator and I cant help but think you're wonderful and I know I want you in my life.But with all your fuckin problems its just too much to take! Who the fuck do you think YOU are? Star Wars? Got me double dippin; like you're Star Wars? Fuck you.

If somebody takes desperate measures to right wrongs by a failing system of "justice", well then clearly that person is a villain. <P>
The message the film sends is that people speaking out against government must be equated with psychopathic murderers hell bent on destruction, as opposed to people expressing their natural born rights. <P>
Besides, the ending to the film is absurd and lazy. So a genius that's been about twenty steps ahead of everybody the entire film somehow forgets to safeguard his hideout from unwanted intruders? <P>
Maybe there was a different ending at one point. One that didn't completely change a character's abilities and perceptions from borderline supernatural to outright idiocy. <P>
And it didn't help that the entire movie I absolutely hated Jamie Foxx's character. So fucking boring.

I agree on Beta Ray Bill Harry. So far this my favorite o fht eMarvel animated releases. I can only hope that they continue on into World War Hulk after this. Oh and I'm glad you decided to show up this week, and have a new found dedication to this. Cause next time me and the rest of the villagers are lighting torches.

I wonder if Harry is referring to the Richard Bachman (Stephen King) story it was based on, which was a far better story than the Arnie star vehicle with Richard Dawson (of all people) as the "villian".

Ha, good one. Down Under we call it a "map of Tazzie" because the island of Tasmania (which gets left off many maps of Oz), is pretty much that shape too. Lotta bush as well. There are also a whole buncha lesbians down there, but I'm not sure if that's connected to the euphemism, heh.

The first 3/4 of the film are a slow burn of building dread, then it just takes a big ol crap right on the film, ending up so stupid and predictable and low class that it reminds you that you should have trusted your gut and skipped it.

Just Incredible, outrageous, insane flick. How many directors would have the AUDACITY to KILL the main character 3/4ths of the way into the movie in a horrific and sudden way, the have his partner take the lead role to resolve the film? EPIC EPIC EPIC FLICK. One of THE BEST cop flicks ever made. Period.

To Live And Die, as well as Manhunter put him in position... but it was not to be. He went on to one of HBO's original Long Gone, (featuring Virginia Madsen in her yummy era)which is also criminally overlooked by many to this day. To Live And Die was perfection for its time, but still enjoyable and dark.

Some of the best fights EVER...in my top 5 choppy sockey flicks EVER. I went not expecting much..I came out fucking blown away. I doubted Tony Jaas actual martial art skills.
Not anymore.
Motherfucker is the REAL DEAL man.

and his is an older model than mine. Actually, it's his IB Blu-Ray so I'm wondering if there's some kind of copyright restriction on it, which would be b.s. There is a tiny chip on the side of the disc, but I can't imagine that would be a problem.

Did we forget End Of Days....? Sorry, the Guvernator doesn't have the acting chops to play a burned out alcoholic who questions the existence of God. Some stubble and a confused expression doesn't make it. Although Gabriel Byrne does make a nifty devil.

May be the first cop drama to quote "I'm gettin' too old for this shit." And though not as cinematic as The French Connection, one of the best car chase scenes ... ever. I'd rank Bullitt, French Connection, The Seven Ups, and LA in the top 5. Maybe add one the Bourne chases in there.

I've never found it very scary, it has it's moments of creepy atmosphere, but that's about it, however the movie does make me laugh a lot (pancakes kid included), especially Deputy Winston, plus it has Cerina Vincent's tits, what's not to like? I'm eager to check out the director's cut even though it's only been about half a year since I last watched it

it's been years since I've seen the movie, but the Stephen King book is significantly different (the whole game itself is different and of course the main character is a normal guy and not some Arnold type), plus King pretty much predicted reality television

Yup, I thought of Ronin (isn't that infamous for being filmed in the same area that Princess Di crashed and died?), but the Bourne chases impressed me a hair more. Still have to give it to the late Bill Hickman for his great work in the late '60s and early '70s.

Your site sucks nowadays because of things like this. You got bored, your site lost its edge, lost it best writers-Drew, Quint, Uncapie, you don't break any news to speak of, you don't have spies, you just cut and paste the same AP feeds that everyone else has access too. <p> And that's a shame, this site could be fun, different, brash, newsworthy again-but you need new people, money and blood put into it. For now, it's this odd regional Austin-centric movie blog that spends more time going on about Cokey or Eli Roth or the fuckin' draft-house than it does, you know, new movies or things in development or whatever out in LaLa land. <p> You did a pretty good job here w/ your dvd column, maybe you SHOULD space it out from time to time just because otherwise you're gonna wind up going thru the motions for the 44th time in a row, and that doesn't make for good readin'. No wonder you got bored. <p> Have you noticed some of the longtimers who have vaminoosed from this place, besides me? Jarv, ToadKillerDawg(some), Frank Marmoset, Herrmilflover, Xiphos, Droid, etc etc? People like that keep this place afloat. Piss them off or worse yet, BORE THEM silly-you wind up losin''em. <p> Upgrade your site, the html and change around the talkback structure and it could be pretty good. Stay in 1999 w/ it, and well-see the results? not good, no not at all. <p> Hey good luck w/ your defattening and all-ciao.

Hercules in New York, back when he was "Arnold Strong"! Of course, it may be his best for the same reasons. Horses and chariots making screeching tire noises on the grass of central park? It's craptastic! To say nothing of Arnie's "American accent". ;P

Did you not notice that he had no control over where and when he went AND was naked/cold/hungry most of the time? How people forget this over and over and over and then still call it creepy is beyond me. But to each his own. I guess we see in things what we see... ah nevermind.

Harry called this one "a perfect film." To me it was a perfect waste of time. I got it yesterday after reading Harry's recommendation (which I usually trust--don't laugh), but it was just lame. He said the director, Ti West, was shooting for an 80's type film that seemed like a 70's horror film. Well, he did succeed in doing that, but the end product was a crappy 70's film. Only one bright spot, Tom Noonan, who can creep anyone out. My advice, stay away.

The score, the editing. The film has no real ups and downs or suspense or rhythm of any kind. It's all very matter-of-fact. You could argue that that is Miike's style, but I find that I get bored with Ichi The Killer. Audition is much more involving and, as a result, far more shocking a film.

There's a great essay in Michael Chabon's book "Manhood for Amateurs" (a collection of his nonfic short works) where he laments the change in Legos from being generic, build whatever you want type stuff into highly branded kits where you're expected to build one specific thing, usually based on a franchise license. The movie above is an example of this loss of imagination in legoworld. I agree with Chabon that Legos were more fun before Lucas and Spielberg got in on the game. The essay is funny where Chabon talks about his own kids playing with today's Legos and doing weird stuff like putting a dinosaur head on a Darth Vader body and how much cooler that is than just putting shit together according to the instruction manual.

I really liked "The Box." up to this point i've never been a fan of Richard Kelly. "Donnie Darko" was tarnished for me because I saw it after the tsunami of hype hit it, after friends told me it was the 2nd coming. and "Southland Tales" was ambitious as FUCK, but "ambitious" doesn't always translate to "good." it seemed like he crammed way too much into 2 hours. and the stunt casting didn't work for me. but as a diehard Twilight Zone fan, i loved The Box. Kelly kept his inventive and intelligent eye for directing, but reeled in a lot of the writing and surrealism, and I think it worked. loved the score by The Arcade Fire, loved the period look of the film, loved the ending... nothing amazing, but a good movie. as for "Bronson," thats my kind of fucking movie. my only problem with it was that it starts off as such a fuck-nut, adrenaline-fueled thrill ride that it kind of loses steam by the 3rd act. but Tom Hardy was amazing. Refn's abstract framing, lack of tracking shots, use of classical music... it reminded me a lot of Chan Wook Park's directing, which is a huge compliment from me. good stuff, the both of 'em.

The music was NOT composed by Paul Williams you poor deluded fan-addicts... for you have all fallen unto the mystique of Swan! Winslow Leach deserves all credit. He screams for acknowledgement from the deepest pits of burning vinyl.Go ye back and view it again...and then again...and again...I sure will!

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